Liu Bei (161-222) courtesy name Liu Xuande, posthumous imperial title Emperor Zhaolie of the Han dynasty, and also known as the "First Ruler" (Xianzhu) of Shu (r. 221-222) was the founder of one of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), the empire of Shu, or Shu-Han (221-263) in the modern region of Sichuan. In historiography, he is seen as the moral successor of the Later Han dynasty (25-220).
Liu Bei was indeed a distant relative of the imperial house of the Han, the family Liu, and came from Zhuojun, in northern China. He nevertheless lived a very economic and austere life in the business of selling textiles and mats. In this profession he had contact to a lot of wealthy members of the gentry. During the later years of the reign of Emperor Ling (r. 167-188) he took part in the suppression of the Yellow Turban uprising. He was rewarded, yet because of some differences with local officials he was stripped off his rank. He then became a follower of the warlord general Gongsun Zan, whom he served in several campaigns. For his successes, he was appointed counsellor of the princedom of Yuanping,. Liu Bei supported Tao Qian, regional governor (mu) of Xuzhou (approx. modern Jiangsu), against the armies of the powerful warlord Cao Cao. When Tao Qian died, Liu Bei inherited his post. Liu Bei suffered defeat against two other warlords, Yuan Shu, and Lü Bu, a situation that forced him to become an ally with Cao Cao. The latter held Liu Bei in high esteem and appointed him regional governor of Yuzhou, (approx. modern Hubei).
Liu Bei was involved in an assassination plot against Cao Cao, led by Emperor Xian's (r. 189-220) uncle Dong Cheng. He therefore fled to Xuzhou and had to abandon his wife and children when he was heavily attacked by Cao Cao. He assembled a large army and offered his service to the powerful warlord of the east, Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao in the battle of Guandu (modern Zhongmou, Henan) in 200, and Liu Bei had to flee again and to unite his remaining forces with that of Liu Biao, who controlled the middle Yangtze region. Liu Bei's fame grow day by day, and he was able to attract large support by many members of the local gentry. When Cao Cao undertook a campaign against the tribal federation of the Wuhuan, in the northeast, Liu Bei saw a chance to attack Cao Cao's stronghold in Xu (modern Xuchang, Henan). Liu Biao refused to adopt this plan and died soon. Cao Cao thereupon advanced to the south, and Liu Biao's son Liu Cong, submitted to the enemy.
Liu Bei fled again, and this time, he was able to win the support of his most important advisor, Zhuge Liang,. Zhuge suggested allying with Sun Quan, who controled the southeast, and the united armies were able to defeat Cao Cao at the Red Cliff (Chibi, modern Puqi, Hubei) in 208. Liu Bei was able to conquer the provinces of central China. Liu Zhang, regional governor of Yizhou (i.e. Shu, modern Sichuan), asked Liu Bei for support against Cao Cao who had invaded the northern parts of Shu in order to extinguish the the Daoist state of Zhang Lu. Liu Bei became at odds with Liu Zhang and conquered the regional capital Chengdu.
In 220 Cao Cao again the region of Hanzhong in the north of Shu after Liu Bei had defeated and executed Cao Cao's general Xiahou Yuan. Yet Liu Bei was able to repell Cao Cao's army and proclaimed himself king of Hanzhong. In the same year, Liu Bei's general Guan Yu, who was to control the middle Yangtze region died in battle, and the whole middle Yangtze region fell into the hands of Sun Quan. The territory in control of Liu Bei was thus reduced to the region of Shu. With the support of competent advisors like Zhuge Liang and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei was able to defend this region against Sun Quan and Cao Cao. The three persons controlled China "like a three-legged kettle" (ding li) as historiographers say. When Cao Cao's son Cao Pi (posthumous title Wei Wendi, r. 220-226) proclaimed the Wei dynasty (220-265), Liu Bei did the same in Shu, as emperor of the Han dynasty. To discern his short-lived empire from the great Han dynasty, his empire is more often called Shu.
In the same year, Liu Bei planned to take revenge for the death of Guan Yu. His forces met with the army of Sun Quan at Yiling (modern Yichang, Hubei), where a long static war took place. The troops of Shu, totally exhausted, were in the end utterly defeated by general Lu Xun. During his retreat to Baidicheng, Liu Bei fell sick and a year later. He entrusted his under-age son Liu Shan, posthumous title Houzhu, "The Last Ruler of Shu" (223-263) to the Counsellor-in-chief, Zhuge Liang.
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